Wartime shipwrecks in Irish Sea are not what they seem

Researchers said that more than 40 per cent of the vessels so far studied have been misidentified

Almost half of wartime shipwrecks in the Irish Sea, including hundreds of war graves, have been incorrectly identified on maps and charts, scientists say.

Researchers at Bangor University are using the £2.8 million research vessel Prince Madog to survey hundreds of vessels sunk in the First and Second World Wars, as well as later wrecks.

The vessel’s multibeam sonar creates high-resolution 3D models of the seafloor, which can help to identify vessels.

The Seacams team is studying the wrecks and their surroundings in partnership with renewable energy companies. The data can help to predict what will happen when man-made infrastructure, such as foundations, turbines and cabling, is placed on the seabed nearby.

In addition to researching the identity of the wrecks, the team is surveying…

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